Mounting assemblies



1966 E. G. THEM 3,276,599

MOUNTING ASSEMBLIES Filed Sept. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG! INVENTORsow/4 0 G.THEM

BY 7%: & ,9Azm,77Zea/$ 7 @gmm ATTORNEYS Oct. 4, 1966 E. G. THEM3,276,599

MOUNTING AS SEMBLIES Filed Sept. 16, 1964 2 Sheets$heet 2 INVENTOR.EDWARD G. THEM BY 77Zc we, 77W

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,276,599 MOUNTING ASSEMBLIES Edward G.Them, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to Therm-0- Disc, Incorporated,Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 16, 1964, Ser. No.396,917 Claims. Cl. 211-26) This invention relates generally to mountingassemblies and more particularly to a new and improved assembly formounting or otherwise securing a plurality of thermostatic controldevices in operative position on the exterior surface of hot water tanksand similar appliances.

Heretofo-re, in the mounting of a plurality of thermostatic controldevices on the exterior surface of a hot water heater, it has been thepractice to employ two or more bracket members, one of which served tosecure the first control device to the wall of the tank while the secondbracket served to support the second control device from the mounting ofthe first device. Although this arrangement had its advantages in thatthe first control device could be employed to the exclusion of thesecond, the multiplicity of bracket members required was undesirable.The use of a common mounting member for the two control devices added tothe problem in that separate mounting members had to be provided wherethe control devices were used independently.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an assemblyfor mounting a plurality of control devices upon the exterior surface ofa tank which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and wherein themounting plates of the respective control devices embody interengagingmeans for supporting one control device upon the other.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly formounting a plurality of control devices on the exterior wall of a hotwater tank embodying means for releasably securing one of the controldevices with respect to the other.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an assembly formounting a plurality of control devices on the exterior wall of a hotwater tank which embodies a mounting plate arranged to secure onecontrol device to said wall and a second control device positioned abovethe first control device and having a bifurcated portion embracing thefirst control device and supported thereby.

These and other objectsand advantageous features of the invention, notat this time more particularly pointed out, will become more apparent asthe nature of the invention is better understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts andwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a mounting assembly forsupporting a pair of thermostatic controls in operative position on theexterior surface of a hot water heater tank in accordance with thisinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the assemblyillustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the mounting plates whichreceive and support the thermostatic controls illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the upper control device and mountingplate assembly illustrated in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the lower control device and mountingplate assembly illustrated in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is a bottom view of the control device and mounting plateassembly of FIGURE 5 with portions broken away and shown in section.

3,2765% Patented Oct. 4, 1966 With reference to the accompanyingdrawings, there is illustrated a mounting assembly constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention, for supporting aplurality of control devices in operative position on the exteriorsurface of a hot water tank 10, having a plug member 11 suitably securedwithin an aperture in the wall 12 of the tank. Secured to the plugmember 11 by means of studs 13 is an electrical heating device 14provided with a heating element (not shown) which projects into theinterior of the water tank and serves to heat the water containedtherein. Suitable terminals 15 projecting outwardly from the electricalheating device 14 receive lead-in conductors for supplying electriccurrent to the heating element.

Secured to the exterior wall of the tank is a bracket member 16, thelower end of which is provided with suitable apertures 17 which aresecured by the studs 13. The opposite end of the bracket member 16 isformed with a substantially rectangular cut-away portion 18 therebyforming spaced prong members 19, the outer ends of which are reverselybent to form V-shaped end portions 19a thereon. As illustrated in FIGURE2, the bifurcated end of the bracket member 16 is bent downwardly out ofthe plane of the member so that the ends of the prongs 19 will be biasedtoward the exterior wall of the tank.

Referring now to FIGURES l, 3 and 5, the first of the control devices 20is arranged to be supported in a mounting plate 21 which is of unitarystructure with a rear wall 22 substantially rectangular in shape havingone or more apertures 23 therethrough of any desired shape. Theapertures 23 are provided to permit free circulation of air and thedirect radiation of heat from the wall of the tank to the bimetallicactuating member of the control 20 which is closely adjacent thereto.

At one end of the rear wall 22 of the mounting plate 21 and integrallyformed therewith is a horizontal end wall or base 24, generallytrapezoidal in shape, extending from the rear wall in a direction awayfrom the wall of the tank and serving as a vertical support for thecontrol device 20. The base 24 extends outwardly beyond the lateralextent of the rear wall 22 to provide reinforcement to mounting ears 25formed integrally with rear wall 22. Mounting ears 25 positioned at thebottom of and on each side of the rear wall 22 are in the same plane as,or in planes parallel to, the plane of the rear wall. The ears can beused in securing the control device 20 to other objects (not shown), andfor this purpose are provided with openings 26.

Along each vertical side of the rear wall 22 the mounting plate isprovided with an outwardly extending side wall 27. A portion of each ofthe side walls 27 is bent outwardly in a plane parallel with the wall 22to form the ledge 28 and then is extended at right angles thereto toform ears 29. The projecting ears 29 are provided with suitable notches30 to receive the V-s haped end portions 19a of the prongs 19 of thebracket member 16. The prongs or arms 19 of the bifurcated end of thebracket 16, as heretofore stated, are biased inwardly toward the wall 12of the water tank to provide spring pressure sufiicient to hold themounting plate 21 and the control device supported thereby snuglyagainst the exterior wall surface of the tank. The upper ends of theside walls 27 are spaced outwardly by angulated wall portions 31 to formoffset side wall portions 32 extending parallel with the side wall 27 tothe end of the member 21. Pendants 33 are formed by cutting along threesides of a rectangle in each of the wall portions 32, and bending thefree edge thus formed inwardly along the fourth side of the rectangle.The inturned pendants are cut away to form a rectangular slot 34 in thewall portion 32. The wall portion 32, pendants 33, exterior wall surfaceof the control 20, and the rear wall extending laterally beyond the con-D trol define a latch for the reception of extensions on the side of asecond mounting plate as will be'described hereinafter.

At the top of the mounting plate 21 there is formed an end wall 35extending outwardly from the wall 22 which serves to provide confinementfor the control device positioned in the mounting plate 21. The end wallmay be suitably slotted as at 36 to receive a complemental protrusionformed on the upper surface of the device and thus aid in securing thecontrol device in assembled position. As shown in FIGURE 6, the control20 and mounting plate 21 therefor are secured together by means ofsuitable rivets 50 extending through bosses 51 formed on the rear wall22 of the mounting plate.

A second mounting plate 37 is arranged to receive a second controldevice 38 and includes a rear wall 39, a suitable end wall 40 extendingoutwardly from the rear wall 39 and side walls 41 which also extendoutwardly from the rear wall 39 away from the tank. The side walls 41are extended downwardly beyond the rear wall 39 to form spaced legs 42.Aligned tabs 43 are formed in the side walls 41, and when the controldevice 38 is positioned in the mounting plate these are bent inwardlyand engage in slots 44 formed in the opposed side walls of the housingof the device to secure the same in assembled position. The rear wall 39of the plate is cut away as at 45 to provide for the direct transfer ofheat from the wall of the tank to the bimetallic actuating member of thecontrol device 38.

The second mounting plate 37, also a unitary structure, supporting thesecond control device 38 may be readily mounted on the water tank byengaging the legs 42 into the latch formed on the mounting plateassembly of the control device 20 as hereinafter described. The edges ofthe pendants 33 serve to guide the legs 42 and the size of the pendants33 is such that the space between the edges of the pendants 33 and therear wall 22 is that required .to secure snugly the legs 42 within therespective latches. An extension 46 on the rear wall 39 may be providedas shown in FIGURE 3 to interlock with the slot 36 provided in the endwall 35 and thus securely assemble the two units together. Separation ofthe two control devices may be made with similar ease simply by pullingupward on the mounting plate 37 carrying the control device 38.

Having thus described my invention so that those skilled in the art mayunderstand and practice the same, what I desire to obtain by LettersPatent is embodied in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An assembly for mounting a plurality of control devices upon theexterior surface of a tank comprising a mounting plate, a bracket memberhaving a mounting portion arranged to be secured to said surface and abifurcated end portion adapted to embrace ears on said mounting plate, asecond mounting plate positioned above said first mounting plate andhaving a downwardly extending bifurcated portion, interlocking meansformed on the said first mounting plate for receiving and securing thebifurcated portion of said second mounting plate, and means on eachplate adapted to mount a control device.

2. An assembly for mounting a plurality of control de vices upon theexterior surface of a tank comprising a mounting plate, a bracket memberhaving a mounting portion arranged to be secured to said surface and abifurcated end portion adapted to embrace ears on the lower end of saidmounting plate, a second mounting plate positioned above said firstmounting plate and having a depending bifurcated portion embracing theupper end of said first mounting plate, interlocking means for removablysecuring said first and second mounting plate together, and means oneach plate adapted to mount a control device.

3. An assembly for mounting a plurality of control devices upon theexterior surface of a tank comprising a mounting plate, a bracket memberhaving a mounting portion arranged to be secured to said surface and aportion engaging ears formed on said mounting plate, forwardly extendingflange members formed on the sides of said mounting plate, a secondmounting plate positioned above said first mounting plate, downwardlyprojecting side members formed on the second mounting plate, said sidemembers adapted to be received by the flange members on said firstmounting plate for securing the first mounting plate in operativeposition with respect to said second mounting plate, and means on eachplate adapted to mount a control device.

4. In an assembly for securing a plurality of control devices to theexterior surface of a tank, a mounting plate for supporting a firstcontrol device, said mounting plate having forwardly extending portionsformed along the sides thereof for the reception of the bifurcated endof a mounting bracket, l-atch means formed on the side wall portions ofsaid mounting plate, a second mounting plate for supporting a secondcontrol device, said second mounting plate positioned above said firstmounting plate and having depending spaced legs received and secured bythe latch means formed on said first mounting plate.

5. An assembly for mounting a plurality of control devices upon theexterior surface of a tank comprising a bracket member having a mountingportion adapted to be secured to the exterior surface of a tank and abifurcated end portion, a first mounting plate adapted to receive acontrol device, notched flange members extending outwardly from the sideof said mounting plate receiving the ends of the bifurcated end of saidbracket member, latch means formed on upper side walls of said mountingplate, a second mounting plate positioned above said first mountingplate adapted to receive a second control device, depending membersformed on said second mounting plate, said members embraced by saidfirst mounting plate and received in said latch means when said secondmounting plate is in assembled position on said first mounting plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 710,797 10/1902Nordon 21l-26 2,216,219 10/1940 Wiley 24-259 X 2,221,021 11/1940Drotning 24-259 2,252,953 8/1941 Walters 2203.3 X 2,703,662 3/1955 Meyer2203.6 3,134,132 5/1964 Graber 248-223 X CLAUDE A. LE ROY, PrimaryExaminer. W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.

4. IN AN ASSEMBLY FOR SECURING A PLURALITY OF CONTROL DEVICES TO THEEXTERIOR SURFACE OF A TANK, A MOUNTING PLATE FOR SUPPORTING A FIRSTCONTROL DEVICE, SAID MOUNTING PLATE HAVING FORWARDLY EXTENDING PORTIONSFORMED ALONG THE SIDES THEREOF FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE BIFURCATED ENDOF A MOUNTING BRACKET, LATCH MEANS FORMED ON THE SIDE WALL PORTIONS OFSAID MOUNTING PLATE, A SECOND MOUNTING PLATE FOR SUPPORTING A SECONDCONTROL DEVICE, SAID SECOND MOUNTING PLATE POSITIONED ABOVE SAID FIRSTMOUNTING PLATE AND HAVING DEPENDING SPACED LEGS RECEIVED AND SECURED BYTHE LATCH MEANS FORMED ON SAID FIRST MOUNTING PLATE.